The copolymerization of acrylamide, sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonate, and styrene was carried out in a microemulsion medium, and ternary copolymers based on polyacrylamide, which contained both strong anionic groups (-SO3Na) and hydrophobic blocks (polystyrene), were synthesized. The structures and compositions of the copolymer were characterized by various means (Fourier transform infrared, ultraviolet, and elemental analysis). The aqueous solution properties were investigated with a florescence probe technique and apparent viscosity measurements, and the interactions between the strong anionic character of the anionic groups and the hydrophobic association behavior of the hydrophobic blocks was intensively examined. After the simultaneous addition of the strong anionic groups and hydrophobic association blocks to the main chains of polyacrylamide, the synergism of the electroviscosity effect of the strong anionic groups and the hydrophobic association effect of the hydrophobic blocks obviously enhanced the apparent viscosity of aqueous copolymer solutions, and the synergism of greater salt tolerance of the strong anionic groups and the strengthened hydrophobic association of the hydrophobic blocks in brine solutions resulted in increased salt resistance for the copolymer. However, the presence of strong anionic groups (-SO3-) in the macromolecules weakened the intermolecular hydrophobic association effect of the copolymer in aqueous solutions to a certain degree; that is, the strong anionic groups produced a certain negative influence on the hydrophobic association effect of the hydrophobic blocks. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.